Video recording and transmitting devices are now present in most smartphones. Given the proliferation of these smartphones, at most any gathering of people (social event, sporting event, political rally, etc.) many smartphones are present. Each smartphone (or other device with video capture and transmission capability) presents a potential video media source whose subject is some portion or all of its surroundings.
Using the example of a sporting event, one camera may be trained on the stadium as a whole, one camera trained on a certain player, one camera trained on a certain point on a field, one camera trained on the scoreboard, etc. Furthermore, each camera may be different and may be capable of producing different quality of video (resolution, refresh rate, etc.) Still further, the camera operators may be amateurs or professionals, may be using a fixed camera (such as with a tripod) or free handing, and likely have differing viewing angles that provide differing qualities of views of various objects/places/people/events.
While such streams are being generated and even transmitted in real time, publishing of such streams occurs at a multitude of disparate locations (both online and through traditional television media outlets). While internet search engines operate reasonably well to catalog recorded video media, the real-time nature of video streaming from a live event does not lend itself to traditional cataloging and indexing that allows for a user to locate the video. Accordingly, for many video streams that are provided to the internet, such streams are not indexed or organized such that a user could readily find the video streams.
If a user would happen upon a stream from an event that interests the user, the user would still be without information as to whether another feed exists and whether the other feed provides increased signal quality. The user would further be without information as to whether another video feed exists that provides a better view of a particular part of the event that the user is particularly interested in. It should be appreciated that “video feed” as used herein describes a stream of data that, when processed, provides a video image of an event that is occurring contemporaneously with the transmission of the data. Stated differently, a video feed is a “live feed.” However, it is understood that transmission delays are part of any video system and thus, the concept of “live” and “video feed” does not require real time display to the millisecond.
Currently, online video streaming requires a website that is set up beforehand such that the website knows that a camera is going to be operating at an event and the camera operator specifically transmits his/her video to be shared on that website. Thus, spontaneous decisions to create a video stream are not supported in a way that is readily locatable by viewers.
Still further, except for those individuals providing video feeds as part of their employment, the generation of video feeds relies on users generating the feeds for enjoyment or general benevolence.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a device and method to provide for real time organization of video media feeds. There further exists a need for a device and method of providing information regarding existing video feeds and optimizing the selection of feed from multiple feeds. Still further there exists a need for a system and method to reward and incentivize the creation of such video streams.